New Mexico - The Land of Enchantment, State flower: Yucca

1. Cantaloupe-Tomato Soup
2. Avocado and Pinon Nut Salad
3. Southwest Tamale Pie
4. Mexican Rice
5. Adobe Bread
6. Caramel Custard Pie

Cantaloupe-Tomato Soup - Serves 4

3 cups tomato juice
2/3 cup sour cream
1 onion, small, white and grated
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon rind, grated
Freshly ground white pepper
4 bacon slices
2/3 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
1-½ to 2 cups cantaloupe balls
4 tsp fresh basil, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

Pour tomato juice into a mixing bowl and stir in sour cream, grated onion, lemon juice and rind; add a little salt and ground pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, sauté the bacon until it is crisp and crumble into small bits. Lightly mix cucumber dice and melon balls and refrigerate for 3 hours or longer. Chill soup bowls.

Immediately before serving combine tomato and sour cream mix with cucumber and melon balls. Divide among 4 chilled bowls and scatter crumbled bacon over each.

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